We know the word for king from other known forms like "sheikh" or "Shah". I don't think the word for "dead" was loaned to English from Persian or Arab in any phrases or sayings except "check mate".

Yeah, but it's about killing the king. It's also about protecting your own king, so not a game of republicanism.

[–] Pipoca@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Apparently that might or might not be a mistranslation?

https://www.etymonline.com/word/checkmate

mid-14c., in chess, said of a king when it is in check and cannot escape it, from Old French eschec mat (Modern French échec et mat), which (with Spanish jaque y mate, Italian scacco-matto) is from Arabic shah mat "the king died" (see check (n.1)), which according to Barnhart is a misinterpretation of Persian mat "be astonished" as mata "to die," mat "he is dead." Hence Persian shah mat, if it is the ultimate source of the word, would be literally "the king is left helpless, the king is stumped."

[–] wieson@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Wow, that's actually quite interesting 🤔 Thanks